Christmas 2009

Our Christmas has been filled with joy...

excitement...

sugar...

wonderful friends...

close family...

Christmas cheer...

sweet memories...

and love overflowing...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Christmas Candy...

Every year we have a tradition of making Christmas candy at Grandma Raber's as a family. Today was that day - and I'm still on a sugar high:) I'm usually in bed by 9 p.m., but it's 11 p.m. and I'm still going strong. I wanted to share a few of the pictures we took today -these are such priceless memories and I hope Max always remembers that close family bond we all felt today!

Here is Max helping his great-grandma...

Logan and Max - look at the difference in size:)

Grandpa and Grandma GG

Clay working on the caramels

Here is the finished product...yummmmm!!!!!

Pink Glove Dance

I just recieved this fwd. email from my mom - and I had to share it here with all of you. It is a YouTube video called "Pink Glove Dance," where a hospital has gotten all its employees to dance and promote breast cancer awareness! It takes a few minutes to download - but I promise it is worth it! You won't be sorry!! Click on this URL to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw


They are trying to get 1 million hits, because the glove company will then make a huge donation to the hospital and the hospital will offer free mammograms to the public. Hope you enjoy this video and it brightens your day!!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

Max had his first encounter with Santa this year at the Farley Christmas party (my grandma's family). Although he informed me minutes before Santa arrived that "It's not really Santa, Mom, it's just Nick (my cousin's husband) dressed up!" As soon as Santa walked in the basement door Max's face had a look of shock. His eyes were HUGE and he just watched Santa walk around the room and greet people. He did end up sitting on Santa's lap - but I had to hold his hand and walk him up there. Here is my little brave guy opening his gift on Santa's lap!

He LOVED his gift from Santa - the Scooby Doo gang and their Mystery van...I don't think he has put it down since he opened it!

Max also had such a great time playing with his friend Lincoln - here they are being silly!

They hit heads trying to cheese for the camera - what little hams!!!!! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas season...we have done lots of eating, snuggling, and loving on each other. It's the perfect time of year for all three:)!!

Weekend...

Gabe and I are in Evansville for the weekend...

getting all our Christmas shopping done in one big trip:)

We have had so much fun -but mom called me yesterday

to tell me this sweet little story about Max and I thought I would share.

Max went to Grandma GG's for lunch with my mom and Uncle "Faye",

to have dinner with the whole Raber family. Max was acting great and just playing,

but before everyone knew it they heard him crying and saw him sitting in the hallway by himself. Faithful Uncle "Faye" went to him and asked:

"What's wrong, buddy?"

Max looked up at him with tears in his eyes and said "I'm gonna miss Nana and Papa's house when we get a new house to live in."

Clay tried to hold back the smile and told him "I don't think you need to worry about that now!"

So Max dried it up and started playing again...what in the world?? I always find it amazing to think what is going on in that little head of his! Don't worry, he will get lots of hugs and kisses from mama in a few hours...and we will have to talk about this whole "new house" thing...since there are no plans being made yet to move:)

Sparkly and Pink

How can you not be happy when you are wearing shoes that look like this:

I just had to post a picture because of all the comments I've gotten today at school:) All the little girls LOVE them, the boys stare at them, and Mr. Weisman (the guy I share a room with) told me that I am blinding him with all the sparkles and sequins.

I actually got them at a yard sale in Washington last summer - a girl that was selling them said that she had purchased them in New York and only worn them once...they just don't "go" with much. But I wore a pink shirt today and couldn't resist wearing them.

Nothing could make me happier on a Monday than wearing pinkish/purpleish sparkly, sequined shoes:) What is making you happy today?

Am I missing something?

It's November, right?

I mean...it's getting cold.

Thanksgiving is TOMORROW, right?

Christmas is on the way...it's the end of November...

so why is it that when I turned around today in the car to see what my little man was doing in the backseat he looked like this:

and he said this:

"I'm gonna go jump in a swimming pool!"

Ok, good luck with that, Max:)!

Don't read if you have a weak stomach...

(derived from microsoft.com)

Ok - so I know you probably don't want to be completely grossed out on this beautiful Friday morning...but I have a story I just HAVE to share:)

On Wednesday I picked Max up from the babysitter's and they told me that Max had puked in the kitchen halfway thru lunch. After he got sick - he acted perfectly fine all afternoon and played like a wild-man (like usual).

I thought that was pretty odd because he has only thrown up twice in his life, both times he had the stomach flu. So the investigation started...

Privite Eye Mama (me:)!! starting collecting the evidence and eventually came up with a main suspect: Papa Delbert!! Here's the story:

Papa Delbert offered to let Max sleep in on Wed. morning and then take him to the sitter's later. When Max woke up, this was the sequence of events:

• Max ate a bowl of cereal


• Papa took Max with him on his daily trip to the Essen Haus, and Max consumed a big plate of biscuits and gravy


• Max insisted on Papa buying him a King-size Snickers before leaving the restaurant...and Papa couldn't resist


• Max ate the entire King-size candy bar on the way to the sitter's


• As soon as Papa dropped Max off, lunch was being served at the sitter's. They were having one of Max's favorites, chili, so he ate one bowl and asked for seconds.

Halfway thru the 2nd bowl of chili, well, you can guess what happened.....

My sweet little guy just doesn't know when to stop, does he? He gets his love of food honestly, though:)

Celebration

A little boy's 4th birthday should be filled with rainbow cupcakes...

gifts wrapped in Star Wars paper...

His favorite meal in the whole, wide, world...

opening gifts from family...

and lots of LOVE....

Max's 4th birthday was filled with all of these things...a little boy's dream come true. He's already asking me "when is my next berfday, Mom?" :)

Sunday Football

Here is my little football man....


Did I mention he will be 4 tomorrow!!! 4 - yes, I said 4! I'm still amazed:) I just got done making rainbow cupcakes (from one of my favorite blogs, whatever) for him to take with him to the babysitter's for all the other little cuties:) I'll post some pictures after his bday!!

A short one...

SICK...uggghhhh....definately under-the-weather.


But I wanted to show you a picture of our Halloween fun - here is my little clone trooper. If you don't know what a clone trooper is...that's o.k., cause I don't either;)





This picture just makes me laugh - you can totally tell he's thinking "Geezzzzz mom, are you serious?????" Can he get any cuter? He is the bees-knees:)

Living Life...

Life is not a race - but indeed a journey.

Be honest. Work hard. Be choosy.

Say "thank you," " I love you," and "great job" to someone each day.

Go to church, take time for prayer. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh.

Let your handshake mean more than pen and paper.

Love your life and what you've been given, it is not accidental -

search for your purpose and do it as best you can.

Dreaming does matter. It allows you to become that which you aspire to be.

Laugh often. Appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them.

Some of the best things are really free.

Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming. Forgive, it frees the soul.

Take time for yourself - plan for longevity.

Recognize the special people you've been blessed to know.

Live for today, enjoy the moment.

-written by Bonnie Mohr

Max has said a couple of adorable things lately...and I just had to share:)

Last night he was laying on the couch with his Uncle Clay (who has been fighting a cold). When bathtime came, I stuck him in there and we started talking. He coughed (a very fake cough, I might add) and I said "Oh my, bubb, what's wrong?"

He turned to me and said "I think Uncle Clay made me the flu!"

MADE him the flu, not gave him the flu, or made him sick, but MADE him the flu. I thought that was so cute!

Then it was time for bed and I told Max that I would like to read a book we've never read (cause I'm super tired of reading the same book OVER and OVER every night)! He agreed and we picked out a Dr. Suess book called "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can you?" By the middle of the story, we were both laughing so hard that I was snorting (which I have a bad habit of doing when I laugh hard:) and we couldn't even read!! If you need a good, funny book to read to your kids - I definatly recommend this one!! I was making all the silly sounds in the book and Max was trying to make them all - and let me tell you it had us giggling like crazy:)

Ok - enough of the bragging mama, but I just can't help but tell you all just how ADORABLE my little man is:)

It's Friday night, and we were gonna go to the movies to see "Where the Wild Things Are," but we decided we were too tired and opted to stay home and snuggle! Hope you are all having a wonderful, relaxing weekend!!

BTW - I will finish my very first Master's class on Sunday, and I start my next one on Monday. I'm making it...but barely:) Please keep praying for me!!

Covered Bridge Festival

Friday I headed to the Covered Bridge Festival with my mom and Max. I haven't been in years, and was super excited about going...but when we woke up on Friday morning it was cold and rainy. That didn't stop us - we headed out early and did not run into ANY traffic at all. We decided to go to Bridgeton - and the drive was beautiful. It's this little country road and all the trees had leaves in beautiful colors. I was just so relaxed and enjoying my Fall Break so much already!

We were all bundled up, probably looked ridiculous but we didn't care! As soon as we got there we walked around for awhile (and I immediatly bought this adorable sign that will go in my house...someday, when I get one:) ha ha!! Then Max decided he wanted a ham sandwich - so we went on a ham sandwich search! We found one, and lucky for mommy there was a mini-donut stand right beside it! No kidding guys - it was heaven! I got cinn. & sugar donuts for breakfast...and savored every bite. Then went back for lunch and got powdered sugar donuts!!! I'm not kidding:) EVERYONE needs to try these!!! We found so many neat stands and bought several cool things - I had so much fun. It drizzled on us most of the day - but we were pretty warm and cozy. It was such a quaint little town and we enjoyed each other's company immensely!
Of course we couldn't come to the Covered Bridge Festival without exploring the covered bridge - Max thought it was amazing...and had to run all the way to the end and back. He has so much energy!!
Then it was time for a break - and Max decided he wanted $7.00 cheese fries! I think we ate about $3.00 worth before throwing them away:( But he looked awfully cute trying to eat them!!

What a wonderful days...with lots of bargains!! I'm such a lucky girl:)!
Max got tired of shopping...and found a place to rest.

That didn't last long, though! He soon found a place to play:) What a great day - hope everyone else had a great weekend!!